Blazing a Trail to Bring More Women into S.T.E.M. by Sue Bhatia

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Entering a career in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is a path few women choose to take, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Nonetheless, the exponential growth of technology has quickly taken the world by storm. The culture of the workplace has shifted significantly throughout the past 100 years. The newest tradition is connecting with technology on a daily basis for both men and women. Plus, with artificial intelligence and automated services taking hold of the business world, everyone needs to redefine their skill set to stay ahead of the trends. This presents a great opportunity for scientists, engineers and mathematicians to get involved in the technological revolution as well. There is no way it will be slowing down, and it’s anticipated that many more jobs will be opening within S.T.E.M. fields. If workers aren’t adapting to the changing times, they might find themselves underpaid, underemployed, or unemployed altogether. It’s time for all workers to diversify their skills to ensure a promising future.

Why it’s better for women to go for S.T.E.M. jobs

Technology encompasses just about everything we do today. Statistics show that most S.T.E.M. fields are dominated by men, and that makes these fields an excellent career choice for women. Women are definitely capable of excelling in these sectors. They are both wanted and needed to bring valuable perspective and diversity to the workplace, while also adding richness to the solutions! Many S.T.E.M. positions pay very well, providing much more income than many traditional fields.

Another deterrent for many entering into S.T.E.M. careers is the misconception of AI replacing human jobs because many women specialize in interacting with people at work. However, many people-facing jobs within the tech industry will continue to exist, including systems analysts, user interface specialists, technical support specialists, IT customer support, customer success managers, etc.

Gaining inspiration from S.T.E.M. trailblazers

If having better opportunities and making more money still isn’t enough to empower women to shift away from their traditional jobs, perhaps they need a bit of inspiration. Read the historical biography, ‘Hidden Figures’, which hit the big screen in 2016. It documents a piece of U.S. history that many Americans were never aware of: three brilliant African American female mathematicians who worked for NASA and helped the U.S. defeat Russia during the competition for spaceflight dominance. These amazing women also served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race and galvanized the world!

These three amazing trailblazers helped to open the door for so many women interested in S.T.E.M. occupations. The incredible feats women have overcome in the past should help put things in perspective and encourage women to go for that bigger, better opportunity today!

Women are needed in S.T.E.M. fields to bring a new perspective, solutions and diversity. They are more than capable of creating new traditions that they will pass down to future female trailblazers!Blazing a Trail to Bring More Women into S.T.E.M.